Edmund w



(No Model.)

, E. W. WOODRUFF.

PILE 0R DOCUMENT HOLDER. v No. 412,154. Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

N. PETERS. Phoin-Lnnagrapher. Washinglqlg D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT E ErcE.

FILE OR DOCUMENT HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,154, dated October 1, 1889. Application led March 26, 1889. Serial No. 304,796. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, EDMUND IV. IVOOD- RUFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in File or Document Holders; and I do declare t-he following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is frequently desirable and sometimes required that holders for documents shall be hre-proof and capable of being employed in strictly fire-proof structures without detracting from the efficiency and safety of snc-h buildings.

My invention is directed to this end; and it consists in an improved document-holder hereinafter more particularly described, which, while possessing the requisite fire-proof quality, is nevertheless of simple and comparatively inexpensive construction.

My invention further consists in certain improvements in metal holders or file boxes, whether fire-proof or not, whereby they are more easily constructed, their parts more effectively combined and secu red together with the result of rigidity inthe structure and economy of manufacture, and the holder adapted to receive and support the clampinglever in its various positions without being bent by the considerable strain which said lever imposes.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical eifect.

In said drawings, Figure l is alongitudinal vertical section of adocument-holder or iilebox embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aview of a blank which may be used to form the holder shown in Figs. l and 2. Fig. Il is a horizontal section, the upper port-ion of the ligure taken upon linee 4E and the lower portion upon line 4L l of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the holder shown in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the end piece which unites the parts of the holder at its rear.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the front portion of the holder; A A', the two side portions, and A? the bottom. These parts are formed of a suitable sheet metal, such as iron. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown them formed in one piece from a blank of the shape indicated in Fig. 3. The portion a of this blank forms the front A. The portions d u form the sides, and the portions u? a2 constitute the bottoni, the blank being folded upon the dotted lines.

B indicates a slot in the bottoni A2, adapted `to receive the lower arm c of the angle-lever C, the upper arm of which is shown at c', and carries the file-board D, pivoted thereto at d. At the juncture of the arms of the lever the latter is widened to forni fulcruin-shoulders c2, which rest upon the top surface of the bottoni A2 at each side of slot B. The lower and forward end of arm c is provided with lateral projections c3, adapted to bear against the under surface of the bottom and eo-operate with shoulders c2, in a well-known manner, to clamp the lever in place when 'the file-board and upper end of arm c are pressed backward.

I have found that the thin sheet metal of which the holders are composed is inadequate to properly7 resist the strain imposed by this clamping-lever, and that the pressure of the latter will bend the edges which border the slotB and distort thebottom. ltherefore provide for combining with the bottom a separate slot-piece of thick and practically rigid metal, which forms a proper guide, inclosure, and clamping-base for the lower end of the lever. This piece is shown at E, and, besides its bottoni and side portions, is provided with horizontal top flanges e, which extend inward toward each other and are separated by the width of slot I3. These ianges e are engaged and covered by the downwardlyand outwardly turned portions a3 of the bottom. There is thus formed a clamping-plate of great rigidity, which perfectly resists the strain of the lever and adds materially to the inflexibility of the whole box.

lthe slot-piece, as shown at e.

The slot-piece E is connected with the holder at its front by means of a horizontal flange a4, which is cut out from the turnedup flange co5 of the front A and is riveted to At its rear end the slotpiece and the edges of the bottom are covered and united by the end piece F, Figs. 4 and 6, from the upturned bend or flange f of which there is cut out and bent into a horizontal position a flange f', which is riveted to the slot-piece, as shown at e. The outer and vertical portion f2 of the end piece is bent at its ends to form two vertical flanges f3, which lie upon the inner surfaces of the sides A of the holder. The top and horizontal portion f4 is bent at its ends to form two other vertical iianges f5, which lie Within flanges f3 and against the outer surface of the upturned bends or flanges as, Which latter are formed by bending the metal, as shown in Fig. 2, along the lines where the sides A` of the holder join the bottom A2. Rivets a7 pass through the parts A', f3, f5, and a6, thus firmly uniting the end piece, Which is already secured to the slot-piece, as

` described, with the sides and bottom of the holder. A holder of linished appearance and one in Which all of the parts are properly and rigidly secured together is thus easily manufactured.

In metallic holders it has been necessary either to use a sheet metal of a thickness Which renders the holder too heavy and expensive, or to have a device Whichis too flexible and easily bent to retain its shape and continue to properly fit its pigeon-hole or space. I have obviated such difliculties in my present invention, and have combined with an external shell of thin sheet metal a lining of fibrous material-such as heavy pasteboard-the thickness and elasticity of Which permanently maintain the shape of the device, and I have utilized the features of construction of the holder already described to secure the various parts of such lining in their places in such manner as to minimize the labor and expense involved in the manufacture and to give a finished and attractive appearance to the holder. In the construet-ion illustrated such lining is shown at L L. The sheet L is that which is applied to the frontA of the holder. rlhe latter is provided with bends or flanges a5 a8 along its lower and upper edges, which inclose the edges of the sheet L.

L indicates the sheets which line the sides A. The upper edges of these sheets are inclosed by a flange a9, formed by the edges of the sides A. The lower edges of sheets L rest in the channelsformedbetween the sides vA, and the upturned portions a6 (see Fig. 2) and their rear ends are inclosed by the parts f4 f5 of the end piece F. The sheet L forms a stout backingfor the frontA,Which enables the label or card holder l-I and the handle or ring holder R to be secured in the same manner in which they would be upon a solid Wooden front piecefor instance by nails or tacks, the points of which are clinched down upon the inner surface of said sheet L.

The file-board D is provided upon its forward face witha lining-sheet L2, the edges of which are inclosed by the bent edges (Z2 of the sheet-metal shell of the file-board. The bearings cl3 for the pivotsl CZ are secured to this file-board by nails (Z4, which are clinched down upon the front face of sheet L2. The file thus constructed is rendered lire-proof by sheets S of suitable material-such as asbestus-Which are interposed between the outer metallic shell of the holder and the lining already referred to. The asbestus is shown as applied to both the front and the sides of the holder; but it. may be sufficient for most purposes to apply it upon the front only.

The end piece already referred to performs the function of supporting the lever C With its file-board in a backWardly-inclined position to support the files or documents While they are being examined. The horizontal portion f4 of the end piece effectively gives such support, its middle, which passes across the slot B in the vertical plane of the lever, being sustained by the flanges e of the stiff slot-piece E. This supporting portion of the end piece is preferably recessed or bent downward, as indicated at f6, in order to give the necessary drop to the arm c of the lever.

It Will be understood that the lining itself may be of such material as to constitute th freprooling layer or stratum.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a holder for documents or other pa pers, the combination, with a thin sheet-metal exterior, of the interior lining consisting of sheets of fibrous and elastic material secured in place on the inner side and by means of said sheet-metal portion, and adapted by their elasticity to stiften the box and preserve its shape and to protect the papers from the condensation and rust upon the inner face of the metal shell, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,With the sheet-metal bottom, of the stilf flanged slot-piece E, connected therewith, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, With the sheet-metal bottom portions A2, separated by the slot B, of the slotpiece E, interlocking with and uniting said portions, substantially as set forth.

. 4.. The combination, with the sheet-metal front having the flange a4, the sides A, and the bottom A2, of the slot-piece E, connected with said bottom and with the ange a4, substantially as set forth.

5. The combinatiomwith the file-board, the lever C, and the slotted bottom, of the end piece having a horizontal portion passing across said slot for supporting the lever, substantially as set forth.

` 6. The combination, With the sheet-metal IOO IIO

bottom and sides of the holder, of the end In testimony Whereof afx mysignaure in piece covering the edge of said bottom and the presence of two Witnesses. having vertical end flanges riveted horzon- I ,T tally to the sides, substantially as set forth. EDMUND Wr' W OODRUFF' 5 7. The sheet-metal file-holder blank in one Witnesses:

piece having the parts a a a2, substantially H. N. LOW, es set forth. E. K. STURTEVANT. 

